election. He did not seek re-election at the conclusion of this term. Backbencher Cardinal served as a backbencher from the time of his election until Ralph Klein became premier in December 1992. During this time, he sponsored the Metis Settlements Land Protection Act of 1990, a government bill designed to give Metis settlements ownership over the land. It passed without significant controversy, though Liberal Nicholas Taylor questioned a portion of the bill that stipulated that the land, as it was communally owned, could not be mortgaged. Minister of Family and Social Services (1992−1996) In 1992, Don Getty announced his retirement as Premier of Alberta sparking a leadership contest. In the December 1992 leadership election, Ralph Klein was selected by party members as the new leader and Premier of Alberta. In the week following his selection, Klein announced his new Cabinet which included Cardinal as the Minister of Family and Social Services. He was the first treaty Indian to be named to Alberta's cabinet, and, in addition to his portfolio, was given cabinet responsibility for aboriginal issues. Cardinal was made a number of strides as Minister to help meet the Klein government's austerity goals. By mid-1995, Cardinal had cut $300 million in department expenses by reducing welfare rolls and introducing self-help and work programs for welfare recipients. Cardinal's policy changes included reducing the monthly allowance for single and able bodied welfare recipients, resulting in 25,000 people or 28 per cent of welfare rolls, being removed from the system, saving $150 million in government expenses. Cardinal was embroiled in several controversies as a Minister. In 1994, while pursuing policy to withhold car registration from parents who failed to pay child support, it came to light that Cardinal had left the mother of his child in 1972 two months before the child was born, had never acknowledged the child or paid child support. The opposition Liberals were critical of Cardinal, accusing him of hypocrisy and demanded that he resign from Cabinet. Premier Klein continued to support Cardinal as a Minister, arguing he was meeting his obligations and agreement with his daughter and the mother. Cardinal also issued an order preventing provincial social services employees from publicly speaking out against provincial policy, and made public threats to fire employees who broke the order. In 1996, pilots for the Government of Alberta charter aircraft reported to the Premier that Cardinal had ordered flight plan deviations